Knitting-machine.



5 sums-sum 1.

/'N VEN TOR PATENTED EGJV. 28,1905.

FIGJi.

JQB. ROWE. KNITTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 26, 1901 i wr v-w tssss ATTORNE Y I PATENTED NOW-28, 1905.

5 sums-sum 2.

ATTORNEY.

INVENTOR.

J. E. ROWE. KNITTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED HOW 26, 1901.

FIG.5,

w/ Ti's s rnnn'rnn-nev; 2a,- 1965.

J. B. ROWE. KNITTING MACHINE;

APPLICATION rnann nov. 26,1901.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

INVENTOR WITNESSES ATTORNEY PATENTED NOV. 28.1906.

J. E. ROWE. KNITTING MACHINE.

APILIOATIOH FILED NOV. 26,1001.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 4'.

FIGLIG.

FIG. 20.

FIG. l7.

FIG. I8.

INVENTOR WITNESSES.

ATTORNEY.

No. 805,670, PATENTED Nov. 28, 1905.

Q J. RROWE.

KNITTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 26,1901.

95' 5 SHEET8SHBET 5.

FIGnBZ.

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIII IIBII WITNESSES INVENTOR l, "UH" ATTORNEY.

and I do hereby declare the foilcwing speeiii ing the formation of the ieg and foot of the to mount the sinkers so that they may ciproceted. the sin'sers being with-chews toeilow the neeliies .through the loops 'NITED STATES JA MES E. ROWE, OF PAWTUCKET.

ISLAND, A GORPORATIION ITATENT OFFICE.

RHODE isLAs'n, Assienor. r

o RHODE KNlI'TlNG-MAOHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented l'i'ov. 23,1995.

Application filed linveinber 26, 190i: eerie l No: 83,736.

To (all 1071/0721, it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES E. Rowe, otPaW- tucket county of Providence. noel State of Rhode Island, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Knitting-Machines;

cation, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, forminge'oertot'th name, to be a full, nicer. and exact description thereof.

The features of the invention to cir culsr-knittinginachines, and may he einnioyei withspecisl advantage in class of. cir ienirnitting machines used for knitting half hose or stockings in which the needies are guided in grow es in e needle-cylinder and are acted upon by cemseerrie i by a com-cylinder, one of thecylinders being rotated durstocking end being reciproceted during the formation. of the heei or toe anti the needles being thrown into end out'ot station automatically during the narrowing and widening on the heel and toe; In automatic machines of this class it is customery to employ sinkers to hold down the loops of the fabric as the neeclies rise through them. and it is also ueuei to draw the new loops upon the needles end he ing advanced to overiie the icons as the neeclles rise through-them. it is nice customary to einploy'two sets of cams ioceteci upon ego-- posite sides of the thread-guide through which the thread is led to the needles, one set of cams acting to form the wave in the neeolies dur ing rotary knitting and during movement of the cam-cylinder in the some direction in reciprocating knitting and the other set of cams acting to form the wave onthe opposite side of the thread-guide during the movement ot'the cem-cylincler-in the opposite direction. With this construction one of the knittingcams fordrawingdown the needles wears more rapidly than the other, so that the'stitches drawn by the needles in alternate courses during reciprocating knitting wiii he of dif ferent lengths. This inequality increases with the use of the machine and necessitates the frequent renewal of the knitting-cams in order to produce an approximately even fabiatch-ring and sinker earn-ring. Fig. i

H W c118 .i'aftfui fi ric on theheel and toe. In a companion cp- ,Figs. 103ml 11 are nine "riew :s

piicntion struction cvio l neemee the Emma e were in either at sinirers whi h l see when ing czn'n.

eed ig the I)! means for i the sinkers will be withdrawn and adv JA -s 7 Y, i, manning the sinner-cams so sides of the kn the hint n revs t 7 heck eicng the active series oi needles.

Further feetures manner of :nountir iint which coiieets he to escape.

The intention sis if chufles certain other features which wiii hereinafter referred to, and pointed out in the eia-ims.

For the purpose of iiiustrnting the various features of invention 3. knitting-heed is shown in the accompanying drawings which embodies nil said features. I

In the drawings, Figure 1 is e vertical sectionel View of e knitting-head and so much of an automatic knittingmechine is nece se r for an understanding of the mode oi r tion'of the head. Fig. Qisepinn view noon the.

1 oil c 011.

detail of the foropereting controihng cams. FLO. 42 is :i plan View of the under re a cam-cyhnder with the n W moved. Fig is e norizo through the iifting picr views showing the oper vand 13 are views showing the manner of leading the thread to the needles. Fig. 14 is an enlarged sectional view through the centers of the sinl ei'-cams. Fig. 15 is" a detail showing the manner of mounting the sinkers. Figs. 16 and 17 are details showing the devices for throwing. the pickers intoand out of operation. Fig. 18 is a sectional view on line 18 18, Fig. 4. Fig. 19 is a detail view of a guard-cam. Fig. 20 is asectionalview-on line 20 20, Fig. 4. Figs. 21. to 24: are views show ing developments of the inside of the cam-cyl inder.

Inthe machine shown in the drawings the needles] are guided in grooves formed in the outer periphery of a needle-cylinder 2, being held in said grooves by spring-bands 3 in the usual manner. The needle-cylinder is supported by a ring 1, which maybe lowered and raised to regulate the length of the stitches or for eifectingthe transfer of the tops of the needles by any suitable mechanisnn-sucln for instance, as shown in Patent No. 565,218, granted August 21,1900. The needles are provided with the usual butts 5, those needles not used upon the heel and toe being provided with longer butts than the others, as is common. The cams and devices for acting upon the needle-butts to give them the required movements in the operation of the machine are carried by a camcylinderG, mounted to rotate upon a plate 7 and provided with a gear 8, through which the cylinder may be given a continuous rotary movement or a reciprocating movement by any suitable mechanism, such as is well known in the knittingmachine art.

The needlebntts are supported upon an annularledge 9, carried by the cam-cylinder. Between the ends of this ledge the devices for reciprocating the needles in the knitting operation and in leveling and returning the needles in transferring are located. The annular ledge as well as the cams for operating upon the needle-butts are supported at some distance from the inner surface of the cam-cylinder, so that a free space is left between the cam-cylinder and the ledge and cams carried thereby, through which any broken needlebutts may fall downward out of the machine. This construction also enables the pickers to be mounted inside the cam-cylinder. The ledge 9 is secured to bosses 10,'projecting in from the cam-cylinder, as shown in Fig. 18.

The knitting-cams for, drawing down the needles and cooperating cams for raising the needles are located between the ends of the and the cooperating lifting-cams form a wave,

as shown at 18,.Fi 12, in the series of nee dles which travels con tinuously around the series of needles during rotary knitting and back and forth across the series of active usedles during reciprocating knitting, the position of the wave with relation to the camcylinder being substantialiy-fixed, since the lowest point of the wave is always formed by the point of the cam-plate 11. Sinoethe needlebutts pass over the point of the same knitting-cam whenever'they are drawn down to form the stitches, the stitches will be of the same size throughout the fabric, and the wearing of the knitting-cam will not produce unevenness in the successive courses on the heel and toe asin the machines as heretofore constructed with two sets of knitting-cams.

The sinkers 19 for holding thev fabric as the needles rise through the loops last drawn by them are mounted in radial grooves formed in a sinker-ring 19", secured to the needle-cylinder, and the forward ends of the sinkers are guided in slots formed in the top of the needle-cylinder. The sinkers are provided with the usual books or fingers for overlying the fabric and are reciprocated in their guidinggrooves by cams carried by asinker camrring 21, mounted to turn on the sinker-ring 19, the cam-ring being provided with an annular rib 22, which fitsover the outer edge of the sinker-ring, and being held upon the sinkerring by clips 23, engaging the under surface of the ring, Fig. 1.

When the needles rise through the loops, there is an upward strain put upon the sinkers which tends to lift the upper edges of the sinkers above the surface of the sinker-ring, where they would scrape and wear away the under surface of the sinker cam-ring as it travels over them. To avoid this wear and resulting looseness of the sinkers, a guidingring 20 is mounted in the inner edge of the sinker-ring. The ring 20 is provided with radial grooves through which the sinkers pass and is held down in position to prevent the rise of the sinkers by the sinker cam-ring.

The sinker-ring is so constructed that an open spaceis left between the inner edge of the ring and the upper end of the needle-cylinder, and the ring is supported upon a skeleton hub through the openings 20, of which the lint which collects between the sinkers formed in the lateh-ringAft an over which the thread is drawn of the preferred form of this thread-guiding means and its mode of operation will bc' best understood by referring. to lfigs. 2,-12', 13, and 15. The thread .guides=;

with guiding edges or su thread as it comes to the thread-guides passes under a guard plate 48, secured to the outer surface of the latch-ring.

During rotary knitting the threadis led I over the guiding-surface 4:5, as shown in Fig. 12. Inwreciprocating knitting the thread is zled-ov surface 45 as the cam-cylinder .-mov'esfrom. left to right, and during the I travel ofthe knitting-wave along the 'activeneedles the thread runs to the needles in a line at right angles to the surface 45. Then the knitting-cam has passed the active needles,

the thread leads from thelast active needle to the thread-guiding surface 45, and as the thread-guide travels away from the last activegneedle the thread will draw over the surface, 5 at an anglegas shown in Fig. 13. The anglebetween the threadand the surface wil'l'grow sharper as the cam-cylinder continues its movement until the thread slides u p the incline and into the slot 47, along which it travels until it enters the guide 43, as indicated in dotted lines, Fig. 13. Now when the cam-cylinder reverses and travels from right to left the thread will run through the guide 43, and when the guide has passed Fthe/inactive needles and the active needles. begin to be operated by the knitting-cam vits the thread will run over the surface 46, as in dicated in dotted lines, Fig. 12. During the latter part of the stroke of the cam-cylinder in this direction the thread will slide oh the incline 46 and be guided by the slot 47 into the guide 4.2, preparatory to the nextstroke of the cam-cylinder fro'm left to right.

. TheI-latch-ring 44: is pivoted to a' bracket &9, secureds ,to the sinker-cam ring, and its verticalposition is determined by a screw 50, arrangedto engage the sinker-cam ring.

The construction and arrangement of the pickers for raising individual needles from the active series during the reciprocatimi of the earn-cylinder is best shown in Figs. 5 to 7, and 22 23. There are two pickers 5i and 52 of similar construction located upon opposite sides of the cam .for reciprocating the needles. The picker 51 at the left-of the knitting-cam is provided with a notched end, presenting a vertical shoulder for' engagement with the needle-butts, anda horizontal hp for engagand 43-fare ing the under side of the butt and lifting said butt out of the active series. The picker is mounted to slide and turn on .a horizontal rod 53, located within the cam-cylinder and back of the cam-plate 11, Fig. '5'. forced yieldingly toward the forward end of the rod and also down upon the upper edge of the plate 15, which is recessed to receive it by a coiled spring 54, which surrounds the rod 53 and has one end secured 'to the support for the rodand the other end secured to the picker. When the needle-butt engages the notch in the picker, the picker is forced rearwardly along the rod against the tension of the spring, and

means are provided for turning the picker about the red as it is thus moved by engagement with the needlebutt, so that the lipof the picker lifts the needle-butt and transfers it to an inclined cam 55, ,formed on the plate 11, by which the upward movementof the needle-butt into the active series is completed. In the construction shown this means consists of an inclined edge or cam 56 on the picker, which is arranged to ride over the rear edge of the plate 11, the rear side of the plate being beveled off, as indicated in Figs. 8 and 9, to properly cooperate with the inclined edge of the picker in turning the picker upward and outward as it is moved by the needle-butt. The turning of the picker about the rod carries the end of the picker outward until the needle-butt passes by. the end of the picker, as indicated in Fig. 9, when the picker is swung downward by the spring 54 until it rests upon the tops'of the needle-butts of the active se.- ries along which it rides until it has passed all of said-butts and thenswings down against the upper edge of the plate 15. On the re turn stroke of the cam-cylinder the-first needle-butt in the active series after it comes up the incline 17 strikes thejbackofftl e picker, which swings ,up to allowthe-b' t to pass and rides over the butts untilptl' when it is swung down into'rthe in Figs. 8 and 22 ready, to liftv v I on the next stroke of the cam-cy v r. from right to left. The picker 52 is of similar construction, being provided with an inclined edge 56, which engages the edge of an inclined cam-surface 57 on the plate 11, and being mounted upon a rod 58 and acted upon by a spring 59. There are also two pickers 60 and 61 for depressing individual needles during the widening, which are similar in 'construction and mode'of operation't'o the lifting-pickers. The picker 60 is inounted on a rod 62, carried by the cam-cyliudeig'and is provided with an inclined edge or cam 63, which cooperates with the edge of an i clined camsurface 64, formed on the gua'd-plate 65,

Figs. 6, 7, and 21, and the pickcu'61 is mount- I I ed on a rod ()5, carried by the cam-cylinder, and is provided with an inclined edge or cam 67, which cooperates with the edge of an inclined cam-surface 68 on the guard-plate 69.

The picker is r may escape. This construction also enables one of the spring-bands 3 to be placed nearer the upper ends of the needles, where it will adjustable cams for reciprocating the sinkers, V the points at which the sinkers are withdrawn and advanced being shifted so that the sinkers willproperlycooperate with the needles when operated by the single knitting-cam. y

In the construction shown the sinker cam or cams are of the same construction as in the application referred to and are formed by pivoted blocks 25, 26, and 27, the blocks 25 and 27 being pivoted to plates 25 and 27, forming parts of the rib 24, and block 26 being pivoted to the blocks 25 and 27 and forming a connecting-link between said blocks. These blocks form a part or movable section of the rib 2a, and they may be shifted to change the points at which the sinkers are withdrawn and advanced.

hen the cam-cylinder is moving in the directionof the arrow, Fig. 12, the wave 18 is traveling along the needles in the same direc tion, the needles on the right'of the point where the loops aredrawn, or the knitting point, are movingdownward, and the needleson the left of the knitting-point are moving upward. When the cam-cylinder is moving in the opposite direction, the wave also travels in the opposite direction, and the needles on the left of the knitting-point will be moving down, and the needles on the right will be rising. It follows, therefore, that during the movement of the cain-evlinder from left to right the sinkers'should be withdrawn at the rightof the knitting-point, where the nee dies are drawing the loops, and should he in' advanced position at the left of the knitting point, where the needles are rising, and that when the cam-cylinder is moving from right to left the sinkers should be withdrawn at the left and advanced a the right of the knitting-pointthat is to say, the points at in the sinker cam-ring and engage slots 30 and 31 in levers 32 ;a'nd 33, which are pivoted to the The rib 2t sinker cahiding, Fig. 2. These levers are connected, sothat when one moves outward the other. i moved inward by means of a lever 34,

i'zto the sinker cam-ring at 35, the op:

posite ends of the lever being provided with slotsfwhich engage pins 36 and 37 on the le vers 32 and 33. the sinker cam-ring to the cam-cylinder, so that the ring rotates with the cylinder, and the levers are operated through their connection with thecam-cylinder. The levers are connected with the cam-cylinder by means of a projection in the form of a shaft 41, mounted on the cam-cylinder, the upper end oi which carries a roll 38, which lies between and engages :the outer ends of the levers 32 and 33.

When the earn-cylinder is moving from left to right, the roll 38, thrusts against the lever 33, thus holding the lever in its outward po sition and through it holding the blocks 25, 26-, and 27 in the position shown in Fig. 10. The block 27 now acts to. withdraw the sinkers at the right of the knitting-point, and the block 26 advancesthe sinkers at the left of the knitting-point, Fig. 10. l Vhen the camcylinder is reversed, the roil 38 thrusts against lever 32, swinging said lever outward and lever 33 inward, thus bringing the blocks25, 26, and 27- into the position shown in Fig. 11. The block 25 now withdraws the sinkers at the left of the knitting-point, and block 26 advances the sinkers at the right of the knitting-point. Thus as the cam-cylinder reciprocates the sinker-cams are automatically shifted to withdraw the sinkers in front of the knitting-point and advance them ehind the knitting-point.

The action of the sinker-can ray be adjusted by means of adjustab stop-screws 39 and 40, carried by the leves 32 andf33 and arranged to engage th dgeQo'f-"the sinker cam ring.

As the knitting-wave 18 travels along the series of needles, the thread must be 'led to the needles in advance of the l'cni ing-point,

and since in reciprocating knitting the wave travels first in one direction and then in the .other and since the wave is in fixed relation to the cam-cylinder means should be provided for leading the thread to the needles from opposite sides of the knitting-point as the cam-cylinder reciprocates. In the present construction this means comprises two threadguides or guiding-surfaces located upon op- The levers serve to connect posite sides of the knitting-carn or knitting point and means for shifting the thread from one guide to the other, so that it is guided to the needles from the guide which is in advance of the knitting-point. 'ihe means for shifting thethread from one guide to the other preferably consists of a guiding-slot connecting the two guides, by which the thread as it leaves one guide is directed into position to engage the other guide. 'lheconstruction forward against collars 72 and upward against -stops 74. I y O'n'the forward stroke of the picker it to depress the needle-butts at' theend of the inactive series and then rides under the needle-butts until they have all passed, and on the return stroke of the picker it is swung downward by the engagement of the needlebutts with thef'rear side of the picker and rides under the needle-butts, as indicated at 61, Fig. 23, until the butts have all passed, when it swings up into position, as indicated at 60, Fig. 23.

In the construction shown the depressingpickers are provided with'lips formed to en gage and depress two adjacent needles and the lifting-pickers are continued in operation during the widening operation. The general operation of narrowing and. widening is-well understood and will notbe described in detail. The pickers are thrown into and out of operation by the guardrc am plates 65 and 69, which are moved at the proper time'sby the following devices: The guard-cam 65 is secured to a plate. 76, to-the rear side of which is secured slide 77. The slide is guided in a block 78, mounted inside the camcylinder, Fig. 20. The plate 76 is provided with a downwardly-projecting arm 79,-which engages an opening 80 in a slide 81, which is guided between the ledge 9 and cam-cylinder 6, Fig. 18. The slide 81 is provided with a radially-extending slot 82, which is engaged of cran in Fig. 22. As

by a crank-pin 83, carried by a disk 84:, formed on a shaft 89., which is mounted on the camcylinder. The guard cam 69 is similarly mounted and connected in a similar manner to a slide 85, whichis provided with a'radial slot 85, engaged by a crank-pin 86, carried by a disk 87, which is secured on the-upper end k-pin 83, the crank-pin 86 being diametrically opposite the crank-pin 83, Fig. 5.

During rotary knitting the parts are in the position shown in Figs. 5 and 21 with the guard-cams in their forward position against the inclined ends of the plate 11. When in this position, the guard-cams act to hold the pickers 51 and 52 back out of the path of the needle-butts. When the narrowing is to begin, the shaft 89 is given two quarter-turns, the firstofwhich moves the guard-cams into the position shown in F lg. 23, thus releasing the lifting-pickers, and the second of which moves the guard-cams into the position shown the cams move into this position they engage the rear sides of the depressing-pickers and turn them'down out of the path of the needle butts, as indicated. When the narrowing is completed, the shaft" 89 is given a third quarter-turn, bringing the guard-cams into the position shown in Fig. .65 23,.thus leaving both the lifting and the depressing pickers free to I swing into operative position. When the widening is completed, the shaft 89 .is given a fourth quarter turn,

bringing the camsback into the" position shown in Fig. 21. As the guard+cams move into this position the inner "ends 88 of plates ers and force them alongtheir guiding-rods; I so that they are turned upward and outward behind the guard-cams and platelLfj. I

The construction and arrangementlof the cams for throwingthe needles not used upon 76 engage the outer ends of the lifting-pick.

the heel and toe. and tbedevices for operating 1 .thesecams are novel-and embody features of the invention.

The needles having. long buttsare thrown out of operativeposition at the beginning of reciprocating knitting by a cam 90, having an inclined guiding-surface 91, up which the needle-butts travel asathe cam-cylinder. travels from right to left. Theenee'dles that are in the idle series are thrown into operation at the end of reciprocating knitting by-a'cam 92,'having an inclined guiding. surface 93, 7

down which the needle-butts travel onto the.

ledge 9 as the cam-cylinder rotates from right 7 to left. These earns 90 and 92 are mounted to swingradiall'y into and'c of operative positioniby being secured upon 'a lever 94:,

pivoted at 95', the cams being secured upon 9 opposite sidesof the pivot 95, so that when i one is swung inward the other swings outward. g

The lever 94 is swung-about'its pivot'at the proper times by the movement of slide 85, the lever being connected with pin 96-,inoli'nted in the lever and extending into a slot 97 in the slide 85.

the slide by a During rotary knitting the parts are in the 9 position shown in'Figilfi, the cam-92 being in position to engage both the long and short butts and cam 90 being out of the path of the nee'dlebutts. When the shaft 89 is given the first two quarter-turns, the'first turn brings the opposite end of 'the slot 97 against the'pin 96 and the second quarter-turn swings the lever intothe position shown in Fig. 17, thus projecting the cam 90 into position to engage thelong butts and carrying the cam 92 out of the path of the needle-butts. VVh'en theshaft 89 is given its third quarter turn, the lever is not affected, as the pin 96 rides-in the slot 97; but when the shaft is given its fourth quarter-turn the lever is swung back in the position shown in Fig. 16, projecting the. cam 92 into the pathof both the longand short butts.

In order to enable the cams 90 and 92 to be shifted independently of the operating mechanisnnthe pin 96 is mounted lever 94 and is held inposition to engage the slot 97 by a spring 98. By withdrawing the pin the lever 94 may be disconnected from the operating mechanism and manually operated, and then connected with the operating to slide in'the devices out of time, since the lever 94 must be" returned to the position from which it was moved before the pin 96 will engage slot 97.

The lever 94 is held in position by a spring-- same direction, thus giving the wheel two quarter-turns.' The finger will then be raised until the narrowing is completed, when it will be moved into the. path of the starr wheel and will be raised again after being once engaged by the wheel, which operation will be repeated at the end of the widening. The

- shaft is held in its different positions by springpressed pins 109, having conical ends arranged to engage recesses 110 in the starwheel.

The knitting-head shown is provided with means for leveling the needles when using the machine for knitting half-hose similar to the means set forth in the application referred to. The needles are leveled below the sinkers by directing the butts of all the needles into a groove or guideway 123, the major portion of which is formed by the under edge of the ledge 9 and the upper edge ofafiring 124, secured inside the cam-cylinder, the space between the ledge and ring being substantially the Width of the needle-butts. In order to guide the needle-butts into this groove, the plates 14, 15,. and 11 and the guard-cams and 69 are mounted upon a'vertically-sliding block 78. The block 78 is provided with a rib 125, which fits within a guideway 126, formed in the inner surface of a curved plate 127, se-

' cured to the cam-cylinder and forming a part of its'wall. The block 78 isheld with the rib 125 in the guideway by a screw 128,which passes through a slot 129 in the plate 127 and has a flange 130 f0rmed thereon, which engages a plate 131, bearing upon the outside of plate 127. The block 78 is moved vertiealiy by means of a cam 132, secured to the shaft 41 and having a cam-groove which engages the outer end I of the screw 128. The shaft 41 is mounted in a bracket 133, secured to the outer surface of the plate 127, and is provided with a handle 134, by which itmay be turned. The shaft 41 is held in its normal position by a spring 135, Fig. 5, which bears the cam 132 raises the block 78 until the parts 'VVhen the butts are forced upward by the cam are in the position shown in Fig.'24. This brings the under sides of the plates 14 and 15 into line with the under edge of ledge 9 and brings the upper surface of a rib 137, which is secured to the block 78, into line with upper surface of ring 124, the space between the rib 137 and plates 14 and 15 forming a part of the groove for leveling the needle-butts. The camcylinder is then revolved in the direct-ion of the arrow, Fig. 24, and the needle-butts on the ledge 9 pass down the inclined cam-surface 138 on the plate 15 into the guideway 123, those needle-butts which were lifted by the upward movement of the plates 14 and 15 be ing depressed onto the ledge 9 by the cam and also passing down the incline 138. After the top hasbeen transferred to the needles in the manner set forth in the Patent No. 565,218, referred to, the block 78 is returned to its lower position, bringing the partsinto the position shown in Fig. 21. The needle-butts are returned into knitting position by a cam 139, secured to the ring 124 and arranged to project above the rib 137 and between the adjacent ends of the plates 14 and 15. As the cam-cylinder is rotated the needle-butts in the groove 123 pass down the incline 138, under the plate 15, and up the cam 139 onto the incline 16, the butts which were carried down by the depression of the plate 14 passing up a cam-surface 140 into the guideway 123.

The space between the ends of plates 14 and 15 is bridged over by a yieldingly-mounted bridge 141, which is'mounted to slide radially in a recess in the block 7 8, Fig. 1. The bridge is provided with an inclined under side 142, which bears upon the inclined upper edge of cam 139. The bridgepiece 141 is loosely mounted in its recess, so that it may have a slight vertical play, and is pressed forward by a spring 143. The bridge is held up in position bythe engagement of its incline 142 v with the cam 139. During the knitting the needle-butts pass over the upper surface.

139, they strike the under side 142 and force the bridge-piece back, so that they may pass by said piece onto the cam 16.

' The bridge 141 also forms ayielding cushion during the knitting for arresting the downward movement of the needle-butts and holding them up against the end of the knittingcam. This construction enables the head to be operated at a high rate of speed and insures a uniform fabric, since the extent of the downward movement of the needle is determined by the end of the knitting-cam, and the downward movement of the needle is arrested by tl e cushion and not by the resistance of the; 00p being drawn.

For convenience in setting up the machine and in removing the parts for repair it is preferred to mount the pickers as well as the cams for guiding the needle-butts during the knitting upon the block 78 and to so mount the block that it may be readily removed with the attached parts. This result is accomplished in the construction shown, in which the wave may be produced by rotating the a needle-cylinder, needles needle-cylinder, in which case the camcylin der would be stationary.

What 1 claim as my invention, and desire to secure. by Letters Patent, is

1. In aknitting-machine the combination of a circularly-arranged series of needles, a single knitting-cam for operating the needles to draw the loops during reciprocating knitting,

three i-guides on opposite sides of the knit-- ting-cam, and means for shifting the thread from one guide to the other during reciproeating knitting, substantially as described.

2. In a knitting-machine the combination of a needle-cylinder, needles guided therein, a cam-cylinder provided with means for formmg a knitting-wave in the needles in fixed relation to the cam-cylinder during reciprocating knitting, thread-guides on opposite sides oi'the knitting-wave, and means for shifting the thread from one guide to the other during reciprocating knitting, substantially as described.

3. In a knitting-machine the combination of guided thereinQa cam-cylinder provided with means for forming a knitting-wave in the needles in liked re lation to the cam-cylinder during reciprocating knitting, sinkers for holding the fabric as the needles rise, means for shifting the points at which the sinkers are advanced and with drawn from side to side of the knitting-wave, thread-guides on opposite sides of the knitting-wave, and means for shifting the thread from one guide to the other during reciproeating knitting, substantially as described.

4. In a knitting-machine, the combination, with a series of needles, and means for causing a knitting-wave to travel back and forth along said series of needles, of a thread-guide on each side of thewave, and a guiding-slot connecting the two threadguides, substantially as described.

--5. In a knitting-machine a th read-guide pro- 'vided with a thread-engaging surface at substantially right angles to the line of the thread as it passes from the guide to the needles during the knitting, a second. thread-guide having a similar guiding-surface, and aslot extending from one guiding-surface to the other, substantially as described;

6. In a knitting-machine, athread-guide 42 having an inclined guiding-surface 45, a second thread guide 43 having an oppositely-inclined guiding-surface 46, and a slot 47 connecting said thread-guides, substantially as described.

7. In a knitting-machine, athread-guide 42 having the inclined guiding-surface 45, the thread-guide 43 having the oppositely-inclined guiding-surface 46, the slot 47 between said guides and the guard 48, substantially as described.

8. In aknitting-machine the combination of acam-cylinder, sinkers, a sinker cam-ring provided with movable cams for operating the sinker-s, and connections between the sinkercams and cam-cylinder for shifting the sinkercams when the cam-cylinder reverses, subvstantially as described.

9. In a knitting-machine the combination of a cam -cylinder, sinkers, a sinker cam -r1ng,

movable-cams on the sinker cam-ring for o J- crating the sinkers, levers pivoted on the sinker cam ring and connected with said sinker-cams, and a projection on the cam-cylinder engaging said levers, substantially as described.

10. In a knitting-machine the combination of a sinker-ring provided with radial grooves for guiding the sinkers, sinkers guided in said grooves, a sinker cam-ring mounted on said sinker-ring, a guiding-ring at the inneredge of the sinker-ring grooved for the passage of the sinks rs, substantially as described.

11. In a knitting-machine the combination of a sinker-ring having radial grooves for the sin-kers, sinkers mounted therein, a sinker cam-ring mounted on said sinker-ring, a guiding-ring 20 at the inner edge of the sinkerring between the sinkersand the sinker camring grooved for the passage of the sinkers,

. substantially as described.

12. In a knitting-machine the combination of cams and 92 for raising and depressing the needles, a lever carrying said cams mounted on a vertical pivot, and means for rocking said lever to alternately move said cams into and out of operation, substantially as described.

13. In a knitting-machine the combination of cams'90 and 92 for raising and depressing the needles, a lever carrying said cams, a reciprocating slide for operating said lever,a slot in saidslide and a movable pin engaging said slot, substantially as described.

.14. In a knitting-machine the combination of switch-cams and depressing-pickers, means for projecting and retracting the same, connections whereby the two sets of mechanisms may bejointly and simultaneously operated, and means whereby the'switch-cam-projecting devices may be operated independentlyof said connections. i

i 15. In a knitting-machine the combination ofswitch-cams and depressing-pickers, means for projecting and retracting the same, conneotions whereby the two sets of mechanisms may be jointly and simultaneously operated, and means whereby one not said mechanisms may be operated independently of said connections.

16. In a knitting-machine the combination of asiviteh-cam, mechanism for projecting and retracting the same, pickers, connections bememo tween said: mechanism and pickers for throwing the pickers into and out of operation, and w means whereby the switch-cam may be projected independently of said connections.

' JAMES E. .ROVE. Witnesses:

W. H. TlHURsToN, J. H. THURS'ION. 

